Seneschal

Seneschal (Prime Minister)

Current Head: Miestrâ Schivâ

Function: Head of government

The Seneschal (IPA: [sɛˌnɛˈʃaw], English: Prime Minister) of the Kingdom of Talossa conducts the executive administration of the laws of the Kingdom and oversees projects undertaken by the government. The Seneschal heads the Office of the Seneschal and the Cabinet.

The current Prime Minister is The Most Honourable Miestrâ Schivâ.

Appointment

A Seneschal is appointed by the King at the conclusion of each General Election or when the post is vacated. The King is instructed as to the person to be appointed by the leader or leaders of the political party or parties holding a majority of seats in the Cosa.

Powers and Duties

Kenwood House, the Prime Minister's official residence

The Seneschal speaks for the nation on current events, either personally or through his ministers, and issues proclamations of mourning and other calls for national observance or commemoration.

Following his or her appointment, the Seneschal is free to instruct the King as to other appointments to the government, relying on a Cabinet consisting of a Distain (Deputy) and other Ministers, each holding portfolio of one or more ministries. The Seneschal is empowered to act for any of the Cabinet ministries. Appointments below this level (that is, to bureaus, agencies, and other departments within each ministry) do not require royal action.

The Seneschal is empowered to unilaterally issue Prime Dictates, which have the effect of Talossan statutory law, precisely as if passed by the Ziu. Prime Dictates are subject only to veto by the King (but the veto may not be reversed without action of the Ziu). Traditionally, Prime Dictates are reserved for use in extraordinary circumstances, when the calendar of the Ziu will not meet the needs of the nation.

By law, the Seneschal is required to propose to the Ziu, for consideration either in its first or second session after each election, an act to itemise and authorise any and all planned expenditures of the government during its administration. This budget act, once enacted, empowers the Prime Minister (through, typically, his Minister of Finance) to obtain funds from the Royal Treasury to meet those legislatively authorised expenses.

Protocol of Office

The traditional residence of the Prime Minister is Kenwood House. From the 18th Cosa until the conclusion of the 22nd Cosa, this traditional residence had been Gay House.

The incumbent Prime Minister is accorded the honourific "The Most Honourable".

At official occasions, the short musical piece, "The Prime Minister's Processional", may be heard as the Prime Minister is introduced.

Chain of Office

The chain of office of the Seneschal is the chain symbol of the Seneschal's power and duties.

A first Chain of Office was crafted by an armourer who works in chainmail; therefore the chain embodies the protection of armour. The medallion is a stylised compass rose made of interwoven mail rings. The compass symbolises the direction or guidance the Seneschal provides to the nation, the eight points or petals represent the eight provinces of Talossa united in strength, and the star pattern evokes the mullet of eight points (8-pointed star) on the Seneschal's badge of office. This Chain was purchased in 2013 and was allegedly stolen soon after.

A second Chain of Office, which is currently in service, was purchased in 2019 by the Plätschisch government and cost USD 107.25 (71¤30).

Seneschal Trivia

Seneschals by Clarks and days in office
1		M. Loquatsch	25	1134
2		I. von Metáiriâ	21	928
3		L. da Schir	18	852
4		M. la Mha	16	700
5		M. Schivâ	15	681
6		G. Toumayan	14	538
7		T. dal Nava	12	415
8		T. Buffone	12	549
9		L. Cjantscheir	12	548
10		G. Válcadác'h	11	534

• The first Talossan to serve as Seneschal after having been a citizen of the Republic of Talossa is C. Carlüs Xheraltescu
• Furthermore, the only Talossans to serve as Seneschal of both the Kingdom and the Republic in their lifetime are Xheraltescu, Miestrâ Schivâ and Gödafrïeu Válcadác'h - though the latter served in the Kingdom first, while the former two never were citizens of the Kingdom prior to Reunision.
• The youngest Talossan ever to serve as Seneschal is Lüc da Schir, at 16 years, 8 months and 22 days of age.
• The oldest Talossan ever to serve as Seneschal is Baron Fritz von Buchholtz, at 68 years, 9 months and 12 days of age.
• With three years, one month and seven days in office, Michael Pope is both the Seneschal who served the longest contiguous term and the Seneschal who was in office for the greatest overall number of days.
• Mximo Carbonel is the Seneschal with the least days in office, just seventeen. However, Gary Cone's first term in office (as caretaker following the Halloween Crisis) lasted only four days, three less than Danihel Laurieir's second.
• Only four Seneschals have served multiple terms while members of different parties, and only Thomas Buffone has served thrice as Seneschal each time for a different party.
• As of the end of 2019, the duration in office of the fifteen Progressive Conservative Seneschals put together, including the two terms as Päts Vräts, amount to 44% of the total time in office of every Seneschal combined. The two other parties to elect a Seneschal for more than a thousand days, RUMP and MRPT, have respectively the 22% and 10% of the total time.
• Twelve Seneschals out of 36 have served for an aggregate time of more than a year. Excluding Miestrâ Schivâ, Ma la Mha, Lüc da Schir and Litz Cjantscheir, the remaining eight all served for the Progressive Conservatives.

See Also

• List of Seneschals
• Office of the Seneschal
• Government
• The Seneschál's List of Royal Civil Service and Government offices established by law